My mother has also been diagnosed with PsA, do any of you experience eye problems like she does? They run constantly and are really painful! What should i recommend for her?
As odd as it sounds, apparently the tearing and running is a dry eye. I sometimes have it when it’s cool outside and there’s even the slightest breeze. Eye problems are really common. Here’s an article which you may find helpful –
http://discussion.livingwithpsoriaticarthritis.org/forum/topics/and-don-t-overlook-your-eyes
What do I recommend? An appointment with your ophthalmologist!
For symptom relief, at the moment I’m using Refresh Optive. Nice product, lasts longer than some drops.
It's frequently due to poor quality tears which makes your eyes feel all stingy, and yes, runny eyes. But pain? Off to the eye doctor she should go. There are many different causes of teary eyes, but teary painful eyes needs a full eye exam, including check for glaucoma.
Wow, I just went to an ophthalmologist for the first time last week. One eye felt irritated all the time, sometimes like something was in it. Other times just a feeling of pressure. No heavy tears but sort of constant.
He also DID mention seeing psoriasis in my history, but didn't clarify if he felt it had a connection. However, it was basically dry eye, or the precursor to it. I then got an education. Tears come from the top lid. They fill in when emotional, an eye injury, or produce more when the bottom lid isn't, otherwise it should be a low level. The glands in the bottom lid secrete an oil, so when those stop working the tears evaporate to quickly and results in more tears. The glands in the lower are called Meibomian glands if you would like to Google those more :)
Anyway, instead of the clear oil mine were all plugged up and even when he pushed on them it was a thick paste. I now have warm compresses and supposed to continue pushing on them myself to get them moving again, otherwise in the end they will simply stop working forever and be dry eye forever. They DID feel better even just from him pushing crud out, although it wasn't fun while he was doing that while watching through the slit lamp. This discomfort, and sometimes throbbing, far exceeded what I would have ever guessed to be due to something like that.
I also have this problem as well as dry mouth…My opt gemologist prescribed steroid drops where to be used sparingly as in not more than 5days in a row. I just have to use them for a couple of days and am good for a long while.f
for the dry moth I use a spray and a gel designed for that purpose the name of which escapes me at the moment. Apparently these symptoms can all be part and parcel of PSA.
Hi, I also suffer from dry eyes and have to use drops constantly, same as Seenie, Optive. I have worn contact lenses for years with no problems but now, can only wear them for a short time and need to use drops frequently. If I don't I start to get what appears to be a yellowish discharge, however, my opthamologist has told me that this is when the tears become more viscous when the eye is very dry. Apparently, it is due to PsA. In the middle of the night my eyes are so dry I literally cannot open them until I have put drops in. Iritis and Uveitis can be associated with PsA so you should get your mother to be checked asap.
I have dry eyes and have had them for several years. I do see an ophthalmologist regularly. The tears that sting are from tear ducts issues. Your eyes create tears to moisturize your eyes. but when they have no were to drain they run down your face. I have found that if I rub my eyes it gets worse. When I try to read they tear up and water like crazy! I have tear duct plugs that where placed to keep my eye moist. but I still have to have eye drops hourly. I use a prescription drops called Restasis. I also use celluvisc which is a thick drop that I use and night to help while I sleep. I use a Cpap at night. I also use sustain drops every hour. This helps with the high ph tears that sting. By adding more drops hourly, my eyes are not as red so they do not sting as much. Rubbing your eyes will inflame the already irritated blood vessels, which in turn make your eyes water. If you have sweat or soaps or lotions on your hands it get transferred to your eyes when you rub them. So try hard not to rub them. Wear sunglasses even when it is not bright out. I have medications that said limit your exposure to the sun. This is because you sunburn or have reactions to the sun. This has the same effect on your eyes as it does your skin. So be sure you watch your prescriptions. I had to have my GP switch my blood pressure med to one that did not have sun issues. This help some with my dry eyes. But I could not do it with all my med's.
I know Restasis does a really good job, but apparently it is really expensive and some insurance plans won’t cover it. My opthalmologist recommended the Optive as a more affordable non-prescription alternative.
A very safe thing that can help with dry mouth is ginger root. It is available in capsule form in the vitamin section of most drug stores. Ginger has been tested medically and will help with upset stomach and nausea. That is why ginger ale helps when you have the flu. A side effect is that it causes you to produce extra saliva. Just what you need for the dry mouth and no steroids in sight!
pabu said:
I also have this problem as well as dry mouth..My opt gemologist prescribed steroid drops where to be used sparingly as in not more than 5days in a row. I just have to use them for a couple of days and am good for a long while.f
for the dry moth I use a spray and a gel designed for that purpose the name of which escapes me at the moment. Apparently these symptoms can all be part and parcel of PSA.
Thank you, farmfresh, do you think that fresh ginger tea would help? I love ginger!
I meant Farmfresh not what autocorrect thought I meant, sorry.
She probably needs to see an opthamologist. (sp?) They may be able to help her out.
I think dry eyes were my first symptom that things were going to heck in a hand basket, so to speak. I got terrible dry eye in 2008 but didn't get joint issues until 2011 (still never had psoriasis.) My eyes were so bloodshot everyone thought I had pink eye and I was using moisturizing drops, Restasis and occasional steroid drops. Eventually I had to get the punctal plugs which helped a great deal, I still used Restasis but was freed from needing Refresh all day. This summer, I noticed it looked like blisters by my tear ducts and it turns out I was reacting to the plugs and had granuloma there. They had to take the plugs out and I had eyelid surgery to remove the scar tissue. (That was a blast, let me tell you...) The plugs were great for a couple of years. Now my eyes are getting dry again, which is really aggravating since I did have it somewhat under control. I'm dreading winter because that is of course the driest time, at their worst my eyes were so dry at night I called it "wood eye" because it felt like my eyeballs were made of wood. I have a follow up with the opthamologist next week. He said I had a good tear film when he put dye on my eye it went all the way across, so that means there were plenty of tears but maybe not "good quality" tears. Interesting about the eye glands in the bottom lid because my regular eye doctor always squeezes my bottom lid, which I hate.
Ok, so I have heard some different things to tell her! I have suffered for many years with PsA, but can’t give any advuce to the eye part of it because it hasn’t hit me there ! Yet! I feel really really sorry for her, she got diagnosed about a year ago and everything just came on so suddenly for her! I take Humira injections and the only thing shes tried is methotrexate. She did max dose for several months and now has switched to injectons! I strongly think she needs different meds! She constantly feels awful, tired, hurting, NO energy at all and the eye thing she says is the worst! Her eye doctor that shes always seen, get this, has never agreed on the fact that PsA affects the eyes! He just says its dry eyes! I mean i think i should clock in on his time slot at his office tmorrow! I recommended harshly that she needs a new eye doctor and rheumy! That is the craziest mess I’ve ever heard of! Shes a pitiful mess right now! I know all of you including myself understand! Thanks for any advice given! I will pass it along!
Maybe a new eye doctor is in order. i also Have dry eyes, but I also have had recurrent iritis, which is cause by psoriatic arthritis, and my eye doctor knew what was wrong with me before I did.
I think any way you choose to ingest the ginger will be helpful. How do you do the ginger tea? I sliver several slices and add it to a good mug of hot water.
pabu said:
Thank you, farmfresh, do you think that fresh ginger tea would help? I love ginger!
In the early days, before I was diagnosed with PsA, i had recurrent uveitis, or iritis, an inflammation of the iris which was later linked to the PsA. Five times in eighteen months I would be at the eye hospital for steroids and, on one occasion, to have the pupil unstuck from the iris, very painful! If your eyes are sore and light sensitive, get to the hospital as I was told that pressure can build up behind the eyes causing serious problems. Luckily I haven’t had it since diagnosis!
I also have dry eyes but have it under control if I used liquid tears regularly. The last time I saw the Opthomologist I asked him what affect the PsA has on the eyes. The one thing he did tell me was if my eye became red (like pink eye) and had any pain that I needed to contact him immediately even on a holiday or weekend. Just thought I would pass this along.
That would be most likely iritis or uveitis; it looks like pink eye, and it hurts like pink eye, but there is no goopiness as in pink eye. His advice is sound - these sort of infections can lead to all kinds of problems if it goes untreated. Any doctor can look in your eyes or eye, and see if it has those inflammatory cells that spell trouble and the only thing or it comes from the doctor.
I had pink eye one time after tons of iritis, saw a "doc an a box" about it, and he treated it differently than my opthamologist would and she wasn't happy with me. I guess I didn't make a big enough fuss on the phone.
That sounds ok. I usually grate the ginger add a smidgen of honey some hot water and Bob’s your uncle. Delicious!
Farmfresh said:
I think any way you choose to ingest the ginger will be helpful. How do you do the ginger tea? I sliver several slices and add it to a good mug of hot water.
pabu said:Thank you, farmfresh, do you think that fresh ginger tea would help? I love ginger!